


A Brief, True and Accurate Account of the Founding of THRUSH

by Nemirovitch



Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Gen, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-09 22:21:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15277434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nemirovitch/pseuds/Nemirovitch
Summary: Would one lie to you?





	A Brief, True and Accurate Account of the Founding of THRUSH

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tish/gifts).



Her name was Nadia. Her name was Zrinka. Her name was Yekaterina.  Actually, her name was not important.

The war tore apart families, destroyed lives, and gave some a chance to renew themselves. She rose, the Phoenix from the flame. She knew how people worked. She knew how to find weakness, and to exploit it. The fear of death held no grip over her, great terrors she had been through already. She stared down the eternal darkness and made it submit to her will.  
She acquired money, she garnered influence. She gained obedience. Now she was Cerebus.  
  
To the world, she presented colors, sweetness, and finery. The pursuit of beauty showed her business acumen. To her growing criminal empire, she presented steely determination, ruthlessness, and death, The pursuit of control showed her iron grip. A songbird was chosen as the organization's emblem. A song of inflicted pain and terror. The freedom of wings a cruel mockery of those imprisoned by her henchmen.

Madame Olga Nemirovitch embraced lust and sadism, beauty and darkness. THRUSH whispered into ears and tempted baser thoughts into despicable actions. She saw the depths of evil and smiled at the ingenuity of those who dragged Europe into hell again. She made notes in her safe haven, kept names and waited.

As the world settled back into peace, her operatives reached out, tentacles feeling for kindred spirits. Resources were offered, and helpless victims used to build up knowledge and new techniques.

As Madame Nemirovitch's twin empires flourished, her poisonous well filled as much as her bank accounts. She could choose a Belgian chocolate and order a man shot as she examined the selection on the box. She could coo at her tiny terrier as she laughed at a prisoner's screams. Madame Nemirovitch had no peer, no challenger, no push-back. Nobody was successful in breaching the gates of hell where she chose to reside.  
  
If she were in charge, that would have been where the story ended. Fortunately, a growing network of dedicated men and women joined together to fight back against THRUSH. Around the world, field agents would swing into action, backed by their intelligence teams, working to stop the evil spreading and poisoning minds.

The United Network Command for Law and Enforcement managed to bridge ideological divides and opposing nations. They made an extraordinary effort to cooperate, despite what their governments might publicly say and do.

The public, for the most part, was blissfully unaware of these clashes. There'd be a few news reports of weird, unexplained events now and again.

The general population could pass by a tailor shop, or a bakery and not know what really went on behind closed doors. Under the surface, in the depths, one side tried to tighten its grip, the other to neutralize the danger. There were wins and losses, small victories and grievous tragedies.

Every time Madame Nemirovitch sent her goons to spread darkness, U.N.C.L.E. would be there to shine a light, to bring hope. Neither side wavered, backing down was never an option.  
  
The secret history books would have you believe that Madame Olga Nemirovitch died by her own hand, on or around January 1st, 1966 somewhere near Venice.

Of course, even the so-called good guys are bound to encourage one to believe an occasional advantageous lie, aren't they?


End file.
